The present invention relates to an exhaust system for a drive unit formed by the transmission and the engine, and more particularly to an exhaust system having exhaust-gas-carrying pipes and at least one muffler and catalyst housing as well as having a holding part which can be fastened to the transmission and/or the engine and on whose supporting led the exhaust system can be fastened or suspended.
DE 40 32 431 C1 describes a suspension device for a double-flow exhaust system of a motor vehicle, in which the suspension device has a central holding part on which, in an elastically disposed manner, supporting legs are fastened which lead to the exhaust pipes of the exhaust system.
DE 198 15 705 A1 describes a fastening device for an exhaust pipe on a vehicle component in which a console of the fastening device has a shell element in the shape of a cylinder segment which can be fastened on an essentially linear section of an exhaust pipe by holding devices reaching around the exhaust pipe.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved suspension device which is durable and stable despite the assembly vibrations occurring in the motor vehicle.
The foregoing object has been achieved by providing a fastening clamp for accommodating a catalyst housing on an end of the respective supporting leg.
The fastening device for the exhaust system according to the invention consists of a holding part with supporting legs which are fastened by a clamp construction to the catalyst housing of the exhaust system. As a result of the fact that the catalyst housing has a significantly larger diameter than the exhaust pipes, by this type of fastening achieves a stable and durable suspension of the entire exhaust system.
Another stabilizing measure which is used for the suspension of the entire exhaust system comprises at least a portion of the catalyst housing being integrated in an end muffler of the exhaust system.
The supporting legs to which the exhaust system is fastened are advantageously constructed as a lower continuous strut which is supported by two upper struts, each connecting the holding part and the clamps. The two upper struts are each connected with a damping element which are coordinated such that the occurring assembly or exhaust system vibrations can be effectively reduced.
For linking the fastening clamp to the lower strut and the two upper struts, one holder respectively is provided to which the lower strut and the two upper struts are correspondingly by a clamping or by a screwed connection. The holding part screwed on the face side to the transmission of the drive unit is constructed as a casting or stamping in the form of a one-piece carrier plate.